DECATUR — As December approaches, HSHS St. Mary's Hospital is offering members of the Decatur community and beyond an opportunity to honor or remember loved ones by purchasing a light on a large and brilliant star that shines from atop the hospital each holiday season.
This year the St. Mary's star will be lighted on the evening of Thursday, Dec. 4, exactly three weeks before Christmas. It will feature 700 lights.
"A star (light) may be purchased with a donation of any amount to Friends of St. Mary's, which is an ongoing program of philanthropy providing resources to the hospital to further the mission of healthcare to all, regardless of ability to pay," said Debbie Seitz, executive director of philanthropy at the hospital. This is the first year for Friends of St. Mary's to offer the opportunity for community members, volunteers, St. Mary's colleagues and others to purchase a star, Seitz said.
The funds from star light donations will be used for St. Mary's spiritual care as support is provided 24 hours a day to patients and family members. "Prayers, Masses, sacraments, Bibles, spiritual rituals and various other types of support are offered for the spiritual and emotional needs of those at St. Mary's Hospital," said Seitz. The mission of the hospital is "To reveal and embody Christ's healing love for all people through our high quality Franciscan health care ministry."
The star, which stands 18 feet tall and is 18 feet wide, was provided as a gift in the early 1990s by the late Dr. John "Rocky" White, of Surgical Specialists of Central Illinois. "You can see it from quite far away," Seitz said. "It's just nice for people to look up there and see it every year. Starting this year I believe it will be a good feeling for people to look up and think, 'I purchased a light up there for my loved one.'"
Donations for the star lights will be accepted until Dec. 1. All names will be listed in the lobby of the hospital and in a program for the star lighting service. To make a donation, contact Seitz at (217) 464-5590 or . Donors can also visit http://stmarysdecatur.com/foundation or stop by the hospital at 1800 E. Lake Shore Drive in Decatur and the information desk or gift shop will have the donation forms available.